Former England cricketer Graham Thorpe passes away, aged 55

Former England batter Graham Thorpe passed away on Monday. He was 55.

Thorpe featured for England in 100 Test matches between 1993 and 2005 and also worked as a coach with the national side for over a decade.

“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away. There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death. More than one of England’s finest-ever batters, he was a beloved member of the cricket family and revered by fans all over the world. The cricket world is in mourning today. Our hearts go out to his wife Amanda, his children, father Geoff, and all of his family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time,” a statement from the ECB read.

Shortly after he was appointed Afghanistan head coach in March 2022 following his departure from the England set-up after this winter’s Ashes, Thorpe had to withdraw from his role due to an illness.

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away.

There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham's death. pic.twitter.com/VMXqxVJJCh

— England and Wales Cricket Board (@ECB_cricket) August 5, 2024

“Graham Thorpe has recently fallen seriously ill and is currently in hospital receiving treatment. His prognosis is unclear at this stage and we ask for privacy for him and his family at this time. Our thoughts are with Graham and his family,” the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) had stated at the time.

Thorpe represented Surrey from 1988-2005 and amassed over 21,000 runs in his entire First-Class career. Considered one of the finest English batters of his generation, Thorpe smashed 16 Test hundreds including a career-best of 200 not out against New Zealand. The left-hander made his debut against Australia in 1993 in Trent Bridge and became the first Englishman in 20 years to record a century on debut.

Following his retirement, Thorpe began his coaching career with New South Wales, working with Steve Smith and David Warner. However, he soon returned to England to join up with the national team as batting coach, before getting promoted to assistant coach under Trevor Bayliss. Following his retirement, Thorpe began his coaching career with New South Wales, working with Steve Smith and David Warner. However, he soon returned to England to join up with the national team as batting coach, before getting promoted to assistant coach under Trevor Bayliss.

“Graham is one of the great sons of Surrey and there is an overwhelming sadness that he will not walk through the gates of the Oval again. He is a legend of Surrey and brought great pride to the Club wearing both the Three Feathers and the Three Lions,” Oli Slipper, Chair at Surrey said.

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